[OpenAFS] OpenAFS vs NFSv4 (linux)

[Russ Allbery]

Lars Wilke <lw@root-home-bla-stuff.de> writes:

> The IBM Public License is incompatible with GPLv2 AFAIK That seems to be
> whole reason. Once i have read that there was a plan to create a kernel
> module which could have a compatible license, so the kernel module could
> be included in the mainline kernel, but never heard of that idea again.

> I guess man power ...

AFS is not a simple protocol.  Reimplementing the protocol for no other
reason than license purity isn't a particularly attractive project, and
isn't likely to draw many volunteers with the required skills,
particularly since Linus has stated repeatedly that he doesn't have
license issues with the OpenAFS kernel module as is.  He considers the
external module API to be a license boundary.  (Some other kernel
developers don't agree, but to date that disagreement hasn't carried the
day.)

That being said, those who really don't like the OpenAFS license can use
(and contribute resources to) Arla, which is a separate implementation of
OpenAFS started for other reasons.  I believe the client isn't quite as
mature as OpenAFS's client, but it does work.

-- 
Russ Allbery (rra@stanford.edu)             <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>